


I Came Here So You'd Come for Me

by Jaune



Series: Haunting [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Crossover, M/M, self-harm ideation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-10 22:45:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15301701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaune/pseuds/Jaune
Summary: Post Infinity War Cherik.





	I Came Here So You'd Come for Me

Erik wakes abruptly, feeling strange. 

The place in the back of his head—the place where he can always feel Charles whenever he's not wearing the helmet—is eerily silent. Strangely... empty. Even when Charles is asleep, it doesn't feel vacant in the way it does now.

'Charles,' Erik calls, to no reply.

Erik throws the quilt from his body and swings his legs over the side of the bed.

'Charles!' Erik calls more urgently. More silence. What could have happened? Where is Charles? 

A rush of rage sweeps through Erik.

Erik has gotten so good at repressing his fear, at turning it into anger, that it happens nearly automatically now. 

If anyone has hurt Charles... there will be hell to pay. 

'Erik.' A wavering voice reaches him. Charles.

'Erik! Something's happened. Are you alright?'

'I'm fine. What do you mean, something's happened?' Erik asks warily.

'I've experienced massive mental backlash. Half of the mental connections I've formed were severed abruptly. I've tried to reconnect with them but they aren't responding.'

'Something is wrong.' Erik repeats, rising from the bed and hurriedly dressing. He doesn't know what's going on, but he's going to get to Charles.

Whatever's happening, they're going to stand together. Erik has to protect Charles, and even in a fight there's no one he trusts at his back more than Charles.

His best friend. 

Though Erik can acknowledge that somewhere along the way, Charles has become more to him than just a friend, even a best friend. Charles is the person he thinks of in his rare moments of joy, and it's Charles who he thinks of when he aches. It's Charles who he thinks of during the absent moments of his days, when he’s not even thinking or doing anything at all. Is that love? He thinks it is. And he knows Charles can't feel that way for him. He does—it's why he left in the first place, but...

Erik would do anything for Charles. He's going to him.

Apparently Charles feels the same way, because in the next moment he's saying, 'I'm sorry if it would inconvenience you, my friend, but I would feel a lot better if you came back to the house for the time being.'

And of course Erik's going. He's halfway to the door already. Still... there's something unsaid between them that has to be addressed. The reason Erik left.

'Charles, I'm coming, but... I have to be honest with you about the reason I left.' Erik communicates hesitantly. He had wanted to sort his feelings into easily manageable (suppressible) compartments, but it appears he won't have the time. 

It had gotten bad. Every time he sees Charles, it stirs something in him, whether it is from the warm, knowing gaze of his deep blue eyes or the care and consideration Erik can feel in each touch. The man is always charming, whether he is flirting, or immersed in research, or sleep-rumpled and dazed. Even his yawns are endearing, morning breath included. 

Erik hadn't wanted to pressure Charles. He'd thought, if he confessed to Charles and found that he couldn’t have Charles as his lover (which was likely), then the situation would be miserable. If it also somehow soured the camaraderie between them altogether, then it would become unbearable. Erik could not live with that. So he had left. But now he has to return, and he must come clean about his feelings before reentering his friend's home. Anything less than that will feel like a lie. It would be a betrayal through deception, not only to Charles, but to himself as well.

'What is it, Erik?' There is wariness in Charles' voice that Erik knows will quickly evolve into fear if he doesn’t assuage it.

'I'm in love with you.' Erik blurts. The next few moments are filled with Charles’ shocked silence, or at least that's what Erik imagines. He can't be sure since he can't see Charles' face, but what man wouldn't be shocked at his long time friend suddenly confessing he'd given him his heart? 'I don't expect anything from you. We can go on as we have been—'

'Erik.' Charles interrupts, voice firm, with an underlying heat. 'What are you talking about? Of course I love you, too.'

A pleasurable tingling feeling suffuses Erik and he stops in his tracks. He can feel a blush flaming his cheeks, ears, neck, chest—Charles loves him? How? Why? When did it start?

'I don't mean as a friend, Charles.' Erik clarifies, 'Not even as a brother.'

'I know that, Erik. And I had no idea that was why you'd left. I'd thought it was because of R—well, it wasn't that, at any rate. I love you as well—certainly not as a brother,' Charles responds fondly.

'Are you- are you sure?' Erik thinks, dazedly. Then his thoughts turn stern, 'I told you, I'm not expecting you to return my feelings. I'd prefer it if you didn't lie to me—'

'Erik,' Charles says, and he sounds exasperated. 'Of course I love you!'

'What's "of course" about it?' Erik replies stubbornly, only to receive Charles' frustrated groan.

'Erik,' Charles says slowly, deliberately, though Erik hears the smile in the words. 'You think I kiss all of my friends good morning at the beginning of each day? You think I'd kiss my brother?'

Erik pauses to give the notion some actual thought. He hasn't allowed himself to do so before, since he had been thoroughly convinced there was no way Charles, a man made even more perfect by his imperfections, could be in love with Erik in return.

'But--'

'You think I kiss them on the lips?' Charles continues, and he is not even making an attempt to hide his amusement now.

Erik hems for a moment more, mulling this over. 'Well—'

' _With tongue,_ Erik?' Charles is actually laughing at him now.

Yes, okay. Erik can see how he's maybe been a little dense.

'Come home, my friend,' Charles says, voice warm and fond and full of feeling, and Erik has missed this man _so much._ He has to see Charles. 'Come home.'

Erik goes.

Charles rushes out to meet Erik. His face is a little haggard, but it's so good to finally lay eyes on him again. A few hours have passed since the time in those cool, dark early morning hours when Charles had felt Erik reach out for him, catch him as he was reeling from the whiplash of so many connections severed at once, tether-less. Despite the glorious sunrise happening to the left, Charles' gaze is locked on Erik. He felt the only sun he needed to see is in the smile rising on Erik's face. That is Charles' smile. He is claiming it.

Erik hurries up the drive to Charles. He watches as Charles carefully maneuvers down the cobblestone pathway leading away from the front door in order to meet him.

And then, Erik feels that strange feeling again. The one that had woken him this morning. It's stronger the second time, much stronger.

Charles yells in alarm. He lurches forward in an uncoordinated fashion, trying to hurry to Erik—to touch him, to save him, Charles doesn't know what or how, just knows the person he cares for most is disappearing before his eyes—and he overbalances. The wheelchair goes skittering away and he falls to the cobblestones of the walkway.

Charles throws his hands out to catch himself and the rough stones scrape his palms. One hand smacks to the pavement at the right of him, but the other lands in the black substance that is all that signifies the place Erik used to be.

Erik is gone.

Because the Avengers have lost.

Because Thanos has won.

Charles lifts his hands and studies the grooves in his palm. By the way they sting, he can tell that blood will be welling up any moment, but for now there's just his skin and the dark gray ash that is caught deep in the scratches. 

Charles knows that he has to get Erik back. The house behind him is empty of all life, and his surroundings are deathly silent, but all he can focus on is his own need, this inescapable need to retrieve Erik from wherever he's gone.

Charles will try. He'll try anything. He'll try everything.

Charles feels like he's falling. Like the pit of his stomach has fallen out, like he's jumped from a cliff and all he can feel is dread at the impending shock and pain of hitting the ground. Besides that, he's numb. His chest feels cavernous—deep and empty and consuming. There's an echoing feeling in his chest that he can't define.

It's heartbreak.

The black ash is in his skin, deep, and Charles detachedly thinks how it will take a great amount of painful scrubbing for him to wash out later. But... maybe he won't.

The ash substance seems to only be in places where people have been. He had seen some smudges of it in Hank's bed when he had gone to check on his housemate earlier. At the time, Charles had not thought much of it. He had thought it might be some leftover from an experiment or debris that had been caught in Hank’s fur. Now, he’s not so sure. Maybe... maybe it's all that's left of them. If that's the case, Charles might just leave the ash right where it is. Might just let it become septic, let it fester. Might just let his exterior match what he feels like inside, now.

Because… why wouldn't he? Everyone he loves is gone. 

There's nothing left for him here.

Charles is alone.

Because the Avengers...

Failed.

**Author's Note:**

> Ouch.
> 
> I'll just leave these tissues in Charles' wheelchair... which has rolled off somewhere.


End file.
